As part of National Public Health Week 2022, CSTE is highlighting the work of our members in applied epidemiology. Today is Part 2 of a spotlight of CSTE President Dr. Ruth Lynfield.

CSTE President Dr. Ruth Lynfield coped with the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic like many of us did.

She went outside.

“Every weekend I could, I’d go to a different state park and hike,” Dr. Lynfield said. “I loved being with my family, my dog and to just be out in nature.”

As the weeks turned into years, Dr. Lynfield, the State Epidemiologist for Minnesota, understands even more how she and her public health colleagues must take care of themselves.

“Because if you don’t, you’re not going to be able to work at your best,” she said. “And you’re not going to be able to take care of your staff, your colleagues and your family.”

With that outlook, it’s easy to see how building a sustainable and resilient public workforce is one of Dr. Lynfield’s presidential priorities. Her efforts on this front include helping to produce and execute a training series allowing individuals to navigate their experiences of burnout, learn skills to support resilience, and cultivate and sustain new self-care habits. The series is for both State Epidemiologists and Deputy State Epidemiologists with a goal to expand to other CSTE members. 

Another one of Dr. Lynfield’s presidential priorities is also today’s National Public Health Week theme: Health Disparities. i.e., a particular type of health difference that is closely linked with social, economic, and/or environmental disadvantage. Lynfield says inequities exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred her passion towards this subject even more.

“There’s been a lot of work during this pandemic to dig into the risk factors for contracting COVID and having severe COVID,” she said. “Health disparities have come through as a really important issue. Especially understanding the role that structural racism has played and how that may impact a person’s decision if they want to get vaccinated or receive healthcare. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done.”

Much of that work, according to Dr. Lynfield, involves going directly out to the community to talk with individuals in different areas and trying to understand what the barriers are.

“Certainly, if someone is suspicious about a new vaccine, hearing about it from someone in their own community is more likely to result in having more confidence in it,” she said. “That’s what we need to do. It's difficult work and multi-layered. But we need to see where the gaps are and understand them.”

Another aspect of reaching out into the community, according to Dr. Lynfield, is accepting it is a two-way street. In other words, paying attention to what individuals have to say and being open to their ideas on how to best keep their community as healthy as possible.

“We need to listen; we can’t just say ‘oh we know how to fix this’ – we need to also ask people: how do you think we should fix this,” Lynfield said “It’s going to take time. But we must do it. There are astonishing inequities, so we must start including it in everything we do and understanding where the successes are and being able to apply those successes in other areas.”

Despite a full plate of priorities and the day to day works as a State Epidemiologist, Dr. Lynfield finds it vital to still keep her commitment to mitigating stress and burnout through the activity she enjoys the most.

“When I’m out hiking in nature, it gives me perspective,” she said. “It helps me balance things.”

Ruth Lynfield, MD, is State Epidemiologist from Minnesota and CSTE President for the 2021-22 term. More information on Dr. Lynfield's current work on LEIFE and other presidential priorities can be found at https://www.cste.org/page/presidential-priorities-award.